GOOGLE CHAIRMAN: ‘The Internet Will Disappear’

Mike Nudelman/Business Insider
Google's chairman and ex-CEO Eric Schmidt was asked about the future of the web during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"I will answer very simply that the internet will disappear," Schmidt replied.

"There will be so many IP addresses … so many devices, sensors, things that you are wearing, things that you are interacting with that you won't even sense it. It will be part of your presence all the time. Imagine you walk into a room, and the room is dynamic. And with your permission and all of that, you are interacting with the things going on in the room."

Schmidt is referring to the so-called "internet of things," in which internet-enabled devices from phones to watches to thermostats and lightbulbs are increasingly programmed to be able to work on their own, for efficiency's sake. Schmidt believes our interactions with these devices will eventually be totally seamless.

During the panel, called "The Future of the Digital Economy." Schmidt also discussed Google's dominance in the search market, and the increased competition in the smartphone business, declaring "all bets are off" due to the new players in the market. Schmidt was joined on stage by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao.